The Coat of Arms of Rhineland-Palatinate

Trier Cross - Mainz Wheel - Palatinate Lion

Landeswappen Rheinland-Pfalz

The coat of arms of the former three principalities Trier, Mainz and the Palatinate - the Trier Cross, the Mainz Wheel and the Palatinate Lion - still have their place in the Land's coat of arms today.

The Trier coat of arms - a red cross on a silver background - was first officially recorded in the 13th century.

The silver wheel on a red background ist coat of arms of Mainz, the capital of Rhineland-Palatinate.

The red-crowned and red-armoured lion on a black background was originally found in the coat of arms of the Welphs, then in that of the Palatinate Count, an finally in that of the Palatinate Prince Elect.

The coat of arms bears a "People's Crown", a golden crown made of vine leaves, a symbol of national sovereignty. In 1948, the Land parliament approved the colours back-red-gold, a symbol of freedom and unity, as the colours of the Land flag. A faded black-red-gold Flag in the plenary hall of the Landtag still serves as a reminder of the struggle for freedom under these colours. This flag was part of the Hambach Festival of 1832 and is intended to serve as a conscious reminder of those democratic traditions.